Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-05-03
The Dragon OF the Plains.

Ouille in the New York Sun, The me
tropolis OF Silverland, wehave asocie-
ty known as the Pacific Coast Pioneers
This society is composed OF the old
timers" of California. No man VINO
arrived on the Pacific coast later than
1852 is admitted to membership.
Tho pioneers have finehall, contain
inc n cabiEcs. Of ores and minerals
and q large collection OF cur'osities
gathered in all parts OF the world. me
hall is a place OF daily resort for all
/ old "Forty. miners" who find time
hanging heavy on their hands. with
these men stories OF the early days OF
gold digging in California and adven'
lures on the "Plains" are always III
order. Even when th regular month"
| w meetings are held the amount OF
business to be transacted is so small
. that it can be dispatched in a few
minutes, when all present are ready
! for the yarn spinning" which almost
invariably ensues.
At the hall few evenings ago sever
al OF the "Old Boys" as the pioneers
are lovingly called by our Pacific
coasters, were talking over early days
in California. After number oil sto-
ries had been been told Bud Crowner
A member from "Old Missouri" got
the floor.
II shall never forget my first ball
IN California, said Bud at was at
Hanat own tnow Placerville), in '52.
In crossin' the plains we had all kinds
OF bad luck. We Ind some OF our
hosses stold by The Injnns, and some
got alkalied and jist materially dried
up inter mummies as they walked
along The poor critters was nothing
but skin and bones. All elst had
bin eat out'n 'em by the alkali
water and by the alkali they
got in gnawing inter the ground
after theroots the grass. of which
the critters OF the head trains had eat
the tops. The animals was nothin'
more than mechanical machines. ]
actually saw one boss hobble along at
his usual gait iull half mile after he
was dead. The poor dried.up old fel-
Ter had so little life in him that he did
not know when il left, and his bones
and skin jist went right along till a
stumble tumbled him over.
"Well, when our hosses died of we
left behind wagons, provisions, tools,
and everything but the little we could
pack on our backs. 1t soon got to
be every TELLER for himself, and Injun
take the hindmost. Some OF my COM
pany got in with parties who was still
crawlin' along with OK teams, but
pushed right ahead aioot, and tuck
the desperate chances OF gittin q bite
of grub here and there on the road.
walked right along by the OK wagons
and by lots OF boss teams. Nearly
naked and half starved, finally got
to the Humboldt River. found a
big party of immigrants camped thar
for day or two to rest their stock,
wash clothes, bake bread, and the
like.
II was a rouCh-looking customer;
the wust in all that congregation.
had on an old red roundabout or
warmer, as we call it, that I'd worn
all the way from Pike, Jean trousers
that was ready to drop off me, and
pair Of moccasins that got from
Shoshone lnjnn for a jacknife. A more
de-vastated eritter nor what | WAS
you never seed A man at the camp
tuck pity on me an shown me two
pairs OF green baize drawers, told me
II I'd wash 'em might have one pair
for my trouble.
GAS the drawers was sound and
much better than my old pautaloons,
! jumped Mt the chance. SO | washed
the articles and hung 'em up on a
bunch OF willers at the edge OF the riv-
err TO dry. Presently the Teller come
and tuck one pair, leavin' the Other
for me. lie was little spindhn DIT
OF n cuss, while was tall and even at
that time, starved as | was weighed
nigh on to one hundred and sixty
pounds. | tuck the drawers and
went some distance down the river
rom the camp, where | got behind a
bunch OF wi.lers, out of the sight OF
the wiminin folks, TO make my toilet.
The washin' and dryin' had shrunk
the drawers to SIGH an extent that ii
tuck me bout hall an hour to cit in.
ter en-. They was skin tight, and
lacked six inches OF reachin' down t.
my ankle lpts. | was an amazin'
sight | looked Tor all the world like
q naked man painted green from the
waist down to The calves OF the leas.
II walked up and down the bank of
the stream for a long time before [
2ould collect my ieeln's sufficient to
Vtatur back to camp. When | re-
viewed myself over | felt so modest
that | went and looked for my Old
hreeches, but had throwed EN- into
the river in the start, aud they had
lioatet away or sunk. So | resumed
my walk and my cogertations As
promernaded up and down thar bv
the waters edge my long, slim, green
legs made mo look like one OF these ere
ny -up-the-creeks,a crane. or some SIGH
KIND OF wadin' water fowl
As there was all Kinds of blamed
tools a-bangin' away among the cot.
tohwoods and willers sllirtin' the rlv-
er shootin' at bout everything in
sight, l begun to be nightly afeerd OF
BEN taken for some new kind OF bio
crane OF the wilderness. When I'd got
my courage up To to the stickin' pint
went back to the camp.
"As soon as / come in sight there
was "A grand connection. Everybody
roared and laughed, some rollin'
themselves on the ground and roarin,
tili they was black IN the face. of,
Tered TO hex three or four of the waist
OF the roarers, but nary man of EN-
could Keep his face straight lone